Theater or like chair



Jan. 14, 1930. c. c. ANDREss THEATER 0R LIKE CHAIR Filed May 5, 1928 ala 7,11.. 0

Patented Jan. 14, 1930 f UNITED STATES THEATER on LIKE o'HArn Y Application led May 5,

The principal object of the present invention is to provide chairs for arrangement 1n rows and having spring retracted seats and arms each common to two adjacent seats any one of which in down position is automatically provided with two arms regardless of the position of the adjacent seats. Another object of the invention is to accomplish the above mentioned result in such a way that normally and in the absence of occupants all of the seats and all of the arms arein retracted position affording full aisle space. Another object of the invention is to accomplish the results above referred to by means of simple, reliable and comparatively inexpensive mechanism.

To these and other ends hereinafter stated,

the invention comprises chairs for arrange' ment in a row each having a. pivotal normally retracted seat, pivotal normally retracted arms common to adjacent seats, and transmission mechanism efective in one direction only and interposed between each arm and its adjacent seats. The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and in which Figure 1 is a front view of three chairs embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating features of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a front view partly in section of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in another position, and

Fig. 5 is a view drawn to a reduced scale and illust-rating a modication.

In the drawing 1, 2 and 3 indicate. normally retracted seats of which there is one for each chair. As shown these seats are normally retracted by springs 4 and are pivoted at 5 to a suitable frame or support. The backs of the chairs are indicated at 6 and at 7 are indicated stops for the seats when turned downready for occupancy. 8, 9, 10 and 11 indicate normally retracted arms of which each is common to two adjacent seats.

192s.' serial No. 275,288.

The arms are shown as pivotally supported at 12. The spring `13 is aV means for normally retracting the arms. There' is a crank mechanism on each armand a crank mechanism on each seat. The crank mechanism forthe seat comprises an arm 14 fast on the pintle or pivot pin of the seat. The crank mecha-V nism for the arm, as shown, comprises a cap lrpivotedat- 12 and to which the arm` is secured. The barv16 extends crosswise of the cap and is disposed at a distance from the pivot 12 sothat it becomes in veffect a crank. Incidentally it may vbe remarked that one end of the spring is attached to this bar 16 and the'other end is attached to the housing.

'There is a linkmechanism common to the crank Ymechanism on each arm and independently connected with the crank mechanism on adjacent seats for actuation thereby in one direction only.` As shown there are two'flinks 17 andr18 andv they are'each pivotedto the bar 16 at one end. At the other end each-ofthese links is slotted as at 19. The slot in thelink 18 receives slidably a head 20on the crank arm 14 of the seat 1 and in a similar ymanner theslot in theV link 17 receives lahead on the crankarm 14 of the seat 2. 'j Y j Evidently when a seat is turned'down, for example, seat 2, Fig. 1, both of the crankV arms 14 operating through the heads 2O push the rods upward, thus turning down an arm on each side of the seat'2, and so ,long las the Seat 2 is held in down position the arms 9 and 10 remain in down position, andthis is true whether the seats 1 and 3 be up or down. If these seats 1 and 3, or either of them, be up,

their crankarms 14, or more accurately the' f heads 20 thereof, change their position in the slots of the links which are vconnectedwith the arms 9 and 10. If theseat2 be turned up then the arms'9 and 10' are held down for the use of the occupants of seats 1. and 3 by the links appertaining to those seats and Vto the arms 9 and V10. With the seats 1 and 3 up, if the occupant of theseat 2 vacates it, it is turned up by its spring turning its crank arms 14 into the position Shown in Fig. 2 and permitting the arms 9 and 10 to be retracted or turned up by their springs.

, The construction and mode of operation of the modification illustrated in Fig. are as above described except that the links 21 are connected at the front of the pivots 5 and 12 5 so that it is the lower end of the slot 22 which operates to pull the links 21 down and so turn down the armsagainst the tension of the springs '23Whichg' are connected on the inside of the lpivots 12.

Having described my invention in One 0f its aspects I maysay that-therchairs embody` ing it are useful singly for any purpose Where folding chairs are useful, for example', 'in schools and oflices and in such casetwo arms` Y and one seat are employed and only the linksV and crank means that are connected With that one. seatand "with, those two arms are emy ployed, so thatboththe seat and arms fold upwards providing avery |eompact construc-y action.y

l Itwvill bevobvious to: thoseskilled in the art to Which-the invention relates that modifications may be made in details ofconstructionand Aarrangement and matters of mere form `Without departing from the spirit of the invention Whichis not limited to such matters or otherwise than the prior art and the appended `claims may-require.

1.' In Vchairs foriarrangement in a row a pivotal normally retracted seat for each chair, pivotal normally l retractedarms, common to adjacent seats, link mechanism, pivotal ycrank pin c,onnection betweenthel arm and link mechanism, and. slot and pin connectionl betweeneach s eat and the link mechanism soy arranged` that therpin on each seat serves to guide th-e link mechanism through the slot therein.

40 2,` A rowlof chairscomprising a pivotally mounted seat foreachchairspring pressed to vertical posit-ion,a pivotallykvmounted arm'between each pair of seats pressed toy vertical position byi an individual spring, a crank pin oneach seat, a crank pin on each arm, and links connecting the pins on the arms and on the seats and each having a slot therein engaged and guided by the pins on the seats.

VIn a chair, a iXed back structure, a seat 5o pvotally hinged thereon and adapted to normallyassume raisedpositioma pair of arms adjacent said seat and pivotally mounted on said back-structure and adapted to normally assume,- rfaised position, a link pivotally mountedon each of said armsand having a slot in the oppositeA ends thereof, and crank arms mounted on said seat and engaged in the slots inthe links toserve'as guides for the links. Y "GASSIUS GANDRESS. 

